President Bola Tinubu on Sunday departed Abuja for Rome to attend the Aqaba Process Heads of State and Government Meeting, a high-level summit focused on tackling West Africa’s worsening security crisis.

The development was confirmed in a statement by Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga. The summit, which opens on Tuesday, will bring together African leaders, senior military and intelligence officials, as well as representatives from key international and non-governmental organisations.

Launched in 2015 by Jordan’s King Abdullah II and co-chaired with the Italian Government, the Aqaba Process is a global counter-terrorism platform addressing complex regional and international security threats.

This year’s meeting will examine the rise of terrorist networks in the Sahel, their growing links with maritime piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, and efforts to improve cross-border security cooperation. Participants are expected to share intelligence assessments and design joint strategies to confront threats both on land and at sea.

Other discussions will focus on combating online radicalisation and dismantling extremist propaganda and recruitment channels.

During the summit, Tinubu will also hold bilateral talks with fellow heads of state on strengthening security coordination across West Africa.

The President is accompanied by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Defence, Badaru Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed, alongside other senior officials.